Flat panel displays, such as flat panel TVs are often mounted on walls using a bracket secured directly to studs within the wall (a wall bracket), and a separate bracket that is secured to the back of the flat panel display (a TV bracket). After a TV bracket is secured to the back of a flat panel TV, it may then be secured onto a wall bracket. The mounted TV then appears to float generally parallel to the wall.
There are many types of wall brackets. In some cases, wall brackets have been mounted directly into sheetrock with common sheetrock anchors. However, this arrangement is not desirable for large display panels as there are often weight limitations and other functionality restrictions. Such prior art wall brackets have also presented safety concerns as they can be readily pulled out of the wall. To address such safety concerns, other wall brackets are mounted directly into wood or metal studs arranged behind the sheetrock wall. While these prior art brackets provide a more secure and reliable mounting arrangement, it is often difficult for a typical user to find the precise location of the studs behind the sheetrock wall. Securing a wall bracket into studs behind a sheetrock wall has become even more difficult with modern brackets as the attachment pattern for TV brackets on the rear of the TV panel has become smaller in recent years as the weight of the associated flat panel TV has decreased. Thus, users will often retain a professional to hang TVs with this type of flat panel mounting system.
Another problem with prior art flat panel mounting systems relate to inefficient structures to lock the TV bracket onto the wall bracket. Yet another problem with prior art flat panel mounting systems relates to the lack of space between the back of the TV and the wall after a flat panel TV is mounted so that access to cable connections and the like is restricted. Despite the many variations and improvements over the years in flat panel mounting systems, further improvement is desirable to address the foregoing problems.